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| Now is the time to quit smoking. |
For a motivation to myself and to my fellow smokers who wants to quit or in the process on quitting smoking, I want to share this:
10 Reasons to Quit Smoking
1. Smokers Die Young
Smoking is the No. 1 leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S.
And
it’s not a pleasant way to go. Smokers risk chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer of the mouth, throat and lungs, as well
as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
They’re also more prone to high blood pressure, high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, stroke and heart disease.
In fact, a smoker’s risk of dying from a heart attack is 2-4 times greater than in non-smokers.
2. You Stink!
You don’t just smell like cigarettes
while you’re smoking... you reek all day. The scent of stale smokes
saturates hair, clothes, your vehicle, workplace and home. Smoking also
gives you bad breath, and no mint in the world can get rid of the smell
of a pack-a-day habit. Kick the habit to reclaim a pleasant aroma.
3. You Have 10 Times More Wrinkles
You can always pick a regular smoker out of a crowd, not just by the stench, but also by his skin. Smoking accelerates aging.
“It
inhibits the body’s ability to repair damage caused by the
environment,” says Michelle Aszterbaum, M.D., a dermatologist in Newport
Beach, Calif.
That means more wrinkles. The damage is more than
skin deep: Smokers with prominent wrinkles are five times more likely
to suffer from COPD than non-smokers, according to a study published in
the British Medical Journal.
Smokers also have pale, ashen skin and yellowing teeth, fingers and fingernails -- all extremely visible reasons to quit smoking.
4. Your Lungs Are Full of Phlegm and Tar
Smoking
causes sticky, black tar to build up in your lungs, which reduces the
exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nutrients between the tissues and
bloodstream. This hurts your entire body, but you’ll especially feel it
in the lungs.
Smokers have a harder time breathing and are more likely to develop painful, chronic coughing because of the increased phlegm.
The
good news? If you kick the habit, your lungs can clear some of the tar.
Your body begins to heal just 12 hours after your last cigarette,
according to the National Cancer Institute.
But it’ll take up to three months for improved lung function and circulation.
5. Smoking Can Cause Depression
Feeling blue lately? Is your outlook on life pessimistic? Smoking is a major cause of depression.
A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry followed more than 1,000 people over five years and found that smokers were twice as likely as non-smokers to be depressed.
Some
smokers turn to cigarettes to ease depression, but they only make it
worse. Kick the habit and you may see life sunny-side up.
6. It’s Expensive
You now know smoking burns a big hole in your health and happiness. It’s also taking a wallop out of your wallet.
Depending
on where you live, a single pack of cigarettes can cost up to $9; if
you smoke a pack a day, that’s almost $3,285 a year.
If you
picked up the habit at age 18 and live to age 68, you'll spend almost
$164,250 on cigarettes alone. And that doesn’t include the cost of
health care bills, extra gum and breath mints. Kick the habit and take
several vacations instead!
7. You Could Become Infertile
Infertility and sexual problems
are great reasons to quit smoking. Female smokers may have a harder time
getting pregnant, and male smokers generally have a low sperm count.
“Smoking
appears to accelerate the loss of eggs and reproductive function and
may advance the time of menopause by several years,” according to the
American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
The society’s study
also showed that genetic mutations of sperm may cause infertility. Men
who smoke are also at a higher risk for erectile dysfunction.
8. You’re a Bad Influence
Kids imitate their
parents. So if you smoke in front of your children, there's a good
chance they'll pick up a cigarette. It gives them indirect permission to
smoke too.
One study showed that 50% of kids whose parents were smokers thought the habit was “cool;” 55% planned on smoking in the future.
Still not convinced? Smokers’ children are generally less active and develop poor nutrition habits.
9. Second-Hand Smoke Kills
Not only is your smoke annoying to others, it’s killing them too.
Non-smokers
breathe in your second-hand smoke, which increases their risk of
developing lung cancer, heart disease and other respiratory problems,
including shortness of breath, coughing and more phlegm. Children
exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to develop asthma.
10. One is the Loneliest Number
It’s the question asked on every roommate form and dating website: Smoker or non-smoker?
You may love your cigs, but they’re putting you on the dark side of one of the world’s greatest social divides.
According to Harvard and UC San Diego research, smokers are increasingly edged out and marginalized by their peers.
A study published in the Australian Medical Journal suggested smokers are far more likely to be dateless.
It
may have something to do with the way they smell, their wrinkly,
yellowed skin, or the fact that parents don’t want their kids bringing
home a smoker.
You want to quit, but it never seems to be the right time. You’ll wait
until after that big exam, or after the holidays, or once your in-laws
leave town.
But when it comes to saving your life, there’s no time like the present.
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